I waved and smiled as I walked through the office floor, offering polite nods to familiar faces. A few people smiled back a little too quickly. Others stared a little too long. I could tell from the way conversations stalled and eyes followed me that Gabriel was already the talk of the building.
He had stepped straight into the spotlight for me, without hesitation. Loyal to a fault. Exactly what I needed.
I slowed as I approached Lena's office, already knowing what I would find.
"Nova, Nova," she called out, her voice sharp and hurried.
I turned, surprise arranged neatly on my face, until my eyes lifted to hers. That was when I saw it. The bruise stood out even under careful makeup, a shadowed bloom on her forehead that had not been there the last time I saw her.
"Oh. Hi, Lena," I said lightly. My gaze dipped, just long enough to acknowledge it. Long enough to make her uncomfortable.
